If you don’t rock your fantasy baseball lineup when the calendar turns to May, why did you sign up for this game? Let’s go guys.
Let’s review some priority options for fantasy managers who need help…
It’s been quite a journey for Grissom to make the Boston lineup, involving soft tissue injuries and illnesses and a nine-game minor league rehab period (during which he hit .333/.444/.400). Finally, it seems Grissom will finally make his Red Sox debut on Friday. The 23-year-old midfielder was acquired in the Chris Sale deal back in December, you may recall. Grissom should immediately serve as Boston’s everyday second baseman and his fantasy upside is significant. He hit .320/.408/.420 in the minors in 1,507 career appearances, with solid power and velocity totals. Grissom clearly has the kind of profile that deserves fantasy attention. He deserves a roster spot in any deeper league.
Manzardo has thrived in Triple-A Columbus this season, hitting .323/.400/.667 with eight home runs and nine doubles. He has scored three times in the last four games, building the strongest possible case for a call-up.
He has a sweet swing with contact skills and on-base ability. Manzardo certainly appears capable of contributing at the major league level; the Guardians lineup isn’t so loaded that they can’t work him into the mix.
We seem to be stuck with Doyle as he remains widely available despite our repeated attempts to promote him. Let the record show that he is still batting average, batting second for Colorado in recent days, as well as having three home runs and four steals thus far. Doyle is already a 20/20 guy in the minors, so we know his power and speed are legit. The Rockies are heading into a six-game homestand next week, which means yet another opportunity to take advantage of the game’s most batting-friendly environment.
Let’s not make this awkward, guys. Please check out Doyle before we’re forced to revive him again next week.
Castro has really been coming into his own over the past week, bringing an eight-game winning streak into the upcoming home series against Boston. During this recent spree, he had five multi-hit games, seven runs scored, eight RBI, one home run and two steals. Whatever you need, he delivers. Castro also offers eligibility at four roster spots, so you can place him anywhere. He stole 33 bags for the Twins last year, so the speed is certainly real.
It may seem that Adell was fraud tempting us for decades, but somehow this man is still only 25 years old. He’s off to a relatively productive start this year, slashing .290/.338/.565 through his first 24 games, and has significantly lowered his K rate (although he did strike out four on Wednesday, so old Adell might still be lurking). Adell’s power has always been his most notable attribute, so the four home runs are no surprise. He also has five steals to his credit this season (on 10 attempts), so he’s filling the scoring box. We’ve seen crazier post-hype surges than this (but not many), so feel free to grab a flyer on a guy with 25/15 potential.
Every play from Ashcraft this season has resulted in a win or a quality start, so he looks a lot like the serviceable pitcher we saw in the second half of 2023. Last year, after a rough start, he was excellent in his final 10 starts: 2.81 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 50 K in 64.0 IP. With six starts logged this season, he has one of the highest ground ball rates in the game (52.8%), his fantasy ratios are solid (3.63, 1.27), and he has struck out 30 batters in 34.2 innings .
Ashcraft has triple-digit heat when he needs to…
…Along with an often inaccessible slider. He could be reliable against the Diamondbacks next week.
Connor Wong, C, Boston Red Sox (26%)
In the spring, there was a buzz about rebuilding Wong’s swing, and the early results were impressive. He’s hitting at a level that probably isn’t sustainable for anyone thanks to a high BABIP, but he’s making much better contact this season, plus he’s gone through the fence five times. Wong stole eight bags last year, so he’s the rare catcher who can contribute to steals. If you’re looking for a boost in a notoriously volatile position, consider giving this man a test drive.
